Signal for vehicles.



W. BLACK.

SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION men MAY 25. 1915.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

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Specification. of hetters intent Patented l elo. 15, third.

Application filed May 525, 1915. serial No. 30,392.

. To all whom it may concern which the following is a full, clear,

Be it known that l, /Vrnonn'r BLACK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Signal for Vehicles, 05;

an exact description.

My invention relates to a signed for vehicles, and has reference more particularly to means for indicating to another vehicle in the rear the anticipated movement of the vehicle'provided with the signal.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact, durable and efiicient signal to promote the safety of vehicle traffic.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signal for vehicles wherein elec tric energy -is utilized for illumination of the sign and wherein there is a closed circuit only when this signal is in operative position. I

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds the in vention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying. drawings, forming part of the application, similar characters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view or a vehicle provided with an embodiment .0? my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross section through the body of the vehicle showing the signal in inoperative position; Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one end of the signal showingthe bearing therefor in sec tion and illustrating the switch within the hearing which controls the light for the signal; Fig. is a detail view of the means for maintaining the signal in operative or in inoperative position; and Fig. 5 is a diagram showingthe electrical connections.

Referring to the drawings, a tubular rod 6 is mounted across a vehicle '2' to rotate 1n bearings 8 which are secured to the top edge of the body of the vehicle adjacent the steering means so that an arm 9 secured .to the rod 6 ,will be within the reach ofthe operator who controls the vehicle. Each end of the rod 6 is bent to engage a disk 10 which carries thereon any suitable sign. his in dicated in the drawings, Slow is marked on the dish:

'ljhe rod 6 is provided with a collar 11 within one oi the hearings 8, said collar having two V-shaped notches 12 'at right angles to each other. The notches "are engageahle lay the sharp end of a spring-actuated plunger 13 whereby the rod 6 can be maintained in operative position, as shown in Fig. l, or in inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 2. A resilient member i l is connected with one end to a projection 15 provided on the collar 11, the other end of the spring being connected to a lug 16 provided within the hearing 8. This spring normally tends to bring the sign disk 10 into inoperative-position, as indicated in Fig, 2. The movement 0'1 the rod 6 under the action of the spring is limited by a stop lug 17 provided within the hearing 8 and against which stop lug the projection 15 is adapted to abut. lhus the spring 14 is prevented from pulling the ll-shaped notch 12 of the collar past the plunger 13 when it is re-.

a conta' t member or members 19 mounted on an insulated drum 20 secured to the rod adjacent the collar 11 ,within the bearing 8. A resilient contact or contacts 21 are mounted within the bearing 8 to bear against the drum 20, .whereby when the disks 10 are brought into operative position, as indicated in Fig.1, the disks 21 are in engagement with the contacts 19 on the drum, thus electric energy is supplied to the lamps from a source 22 located in any suitable place on the vehicle.

The arm 9 can be secured in any desired way to the rod 6, but preferably it occupies a, substantially vertical position when the disk or signs are in inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 2, and, therefore, it will be in a substantially horizontal position when the disks are inoperative position.

"While I have described the principle of operation, togetherwith the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. signal for vehicle comprising a tubular rod adapted to be disposed transversely of a vehicle, bearings for said rod wherein the same is free to turn, the ends of said rod being adapted to project to each side of the vehicle, sign disks secured to the ends of the rod so as to participate in the turning movement thereof, incandescent lights secured to the ends of the rod, a switch controllable by said rod, conduits from said lamp through the rod to said switch, means for turning the rod, and yielding means for locking the red when said disks are in operative or in inoperative position, said switch adapted to close the circuit to the lights when said disks are in operative position.

2. A signal for vehicles comprising a tubular rod adapted to extend across a vehicle so that the ends of the rod will project to each side of the vehicle, bearings for said rod wherein said rod is mounted to 'tuen, a sign disk secured to each end of the rod to participate in the movement of the rod, an arm secured tothe rod for turning it, a collar on said rod within one of the bearings, a resilient member within the bearing engaging the collar to normally turn the rod to place the disk in inoperative position, means limiting the movement of the rod under the action of the spring, said collar having V-shaped notches at right angles to each other, a yielding plunger having a sharp end adapted to engage the notches memos whereby the rod is locked when the disks are in operative or in inoperative position, an

incandescent lamp secured to each end the rod, an insulating drum on said rod within the bearing, contacts carried by said drum, conduits within said tubular rod from the lamps to the contact points, and resilient contact points secured Within the bearing and adapted to engage the contact points on the drum when the disks are placed into operative position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A signal -for vehicles, comprising a tubular rod adapted to extend across a vehicle so that the ends of the rod will project on each side of the vehicle, bearings for said rod wherein the rod is mounted to turn, a sign disk at each end of the rod, the ends of the rod partially encompassing the edge of the disk so as to rigidly secure the disk to the rod, an arm secured to the rod for turning it, a collar on said rod within one of the bearings, a resilient member within the bearing engaging the collar to normally turn the rod to place the disk in inoperative position, means limiting the movement of the rod under the action of the spring, and yieldable locking means for engaging the collar whereby the rod is adapted to be retained in either operative or in inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NVILBERT BLACK Witnesses:

Jos. C. MONTGOMERY, Lonlsn L: BILLINGS. 

